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Invitation to the U of MN Field School-July 29 and 30th. We are, and have been, getting ready for YOU!

      Field School planting started with soybeans on April 13  By: Matt Pfarr, Extension educator-crops and Dave Nicolai, Extension educator-crops The 2026 Field School for Ag Professionals will be held July 29 and 30 at the University of Minnesota Agriculture Experiment Station in St. Paul. This two-day event is the premier summer training opportunity that combines hands-on, interactive training with real world field scenarios.  Register today and lock in your sport  as class sizes will be capped to provide instructor access. The first day of the Field School program focuses on core principles in agronomy, entomology, weed and soil sciences to build a strong foundation of skills and knowledge. The second day builds on this foundation with timely, cutting-edge topics that participants can select. This program is targeted toward agronomists, crop production retailers, seed dealers, consultants, crop protection industry representatives, Extension educators, g...
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Small Grains Disease and Pest Update 07/06/26

The FHB risk models responded as expected, and the risk for FHB infections, depending on the variety's susceptibility to FHB,  increased from low to moderate risk towards moderate to high risk. This week's dew points are forecasted to remain high for a couple more days across much of the state. That means hot and muggy conditions during the day, and higher nighttime temperatures at night.  Consequently, the risk of FHB infections will remain moderate to high depending on the variety's FHB rating.   Note that the national model indicates a high risk for a greater percentage of the state when compared to the NDSU FHB risk model output for individual  NDAWN/MAWN stations.  This is an artifact of the weather data used in each model.  The NDAWN/MAWN stations used the weather data collected at that station, while the national model uses interpolations of weather data collected from National Weather Service (NWS) weather stations and the NWS weather forecast ...
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Nitrate reduction with perennials: Possible candidates, strategies, & benefits

Clockwise from upper left: oat, seeds, wintermax mixture, winter rye, alfalfa Nitrate reduction with perennial plants is the topic on today's  Advancing Nitrogen Smart  podcast. What are some pros and cons of covers like rye, oat and alfalfa for reducing nitrate? How do they compare in terms of biomass or establishment? What sets alfalfa apart as a cover crop candidate? How does our Minnesota climate affect a strategy for perennials? How could cover crop benefits stack up when used in conjunction with a dairy operation for example? Do some areas of the landscape benefit from perennials more than others? All this and more on the 38th episode of Advancing Nitrogen Smart . Read the full transcript here Guests: Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato) Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Additional resources: Cover Crops Best management for cover crops in unfavorable weather patterns Growing cover crops in Minnesota: 4 great resources...
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Register today for the weed science field day in Rosemount on July 14!

Debalin Sarangi - Extension Weed Scientist, Dave Nicolai - Extension Educator - Crops Register today for the Weed Science Field Day to be held this Tuesday, July 14, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Rosemount Research and Outreach Center in Rosemount, MN. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, there is no cost to attend the Field Day and lunch is included. However, pre-registration is highly recommended. Register online by July 10. Registration link: https://z.umn.edu/July14 Growers, crop consultants, agronomists, and other stakeholders are invited to tour several research-plot demonstrations on a variety of timely topics on weed management in corn, soybean, and dry edible beans: Herbicide-resistant weed management New herbicides and technology including precision sprayer Cover crops Directions to the Field Day The Rosemount Research and Outreach Center is located off of 160th St. (CR 46) between MN-Hwys 3 and 52. From MN Hwy 3, turn east on 170th St. W. After 1.8 miles, ...
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Register now for the Strip-Till Expo Sept. 9 at the Lamberton SWROC

By Liz Stahl, Extension Educator - Crops and Jodi DeJong-Hughes, Extension Educator - Water Quality
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Small Grains Disease and Pest Update 06/29/26

This week's update is NOT a carbon copy of last week; while the fields still are all but void of disease and pests of any kind, the immediate weather forecast is not. Extreme heat is forecasted for the southern half of the state. Luckily, the grainfill period is well underway for the spring cereals and near completion for the winter cereals.  The risk of yield losses caused by fungal diseases is very limited at this stage of the game. Fusarium head blight infections can still occur and, consequently, deoxynivalenol (DON) can still accumulate in the grain.  However, the FHB risk models indicate low risk across the southern half of the state. In the northern part of the state, the situation is not the same.  In the southern half of the Red River Valley, about half the spring wheat crop just reached anthesis this past week.  Spring wheat in the northern half of the Red River Valley will start to reach anthesis this week.   And while daytime highs are not pred...
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